Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

In the late 1950s, the Soviet Union achieved something truly astonishing--something that absolutely stunned the world. In this fascinating history lesson, you'll learn exactly what the Soviets did, and how their actions triggered the birth of the Internet. You'll hear the very same Soviet transmission--delivered at the height of the Cold War--that chilled Western scientists to the bone. You'll read the first message to be transmitted across the Internet (no, it wasn't spam), and you'll have an opportunity to view maps of both the early Internet and its present incarnation. By the time you finish this lesson, you'll truly understand how the Internet works, what it has to offer you, and how it moves information to and from your computer.

Friday - Lesson 02

In this lesson, you'll learn all about one of the most powerful tools the Internet has to offer: the World Wide Web. You'll learn where the Web came from and how it works. You'll know the difference between a Web server, a Web site, a Web address, a Web page, a Web link, and a Web browser. You'll become intimately familiar with the many powerful features of your Web browser, and you'll finally be able to decipher the meaning behind all those letters, numbers, colons, slashes, and dots you find in most Web addresses. You'll discover how to use bookmarks to keep track of your favorite Web resources, and you'll become adept at using shortcuts to get where you need to go with a minimum of effort.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

Today, you will get an opportunity to build a personalized home page that will serve as the launching point for all your travels across the Internet, the first page you see when you start your Web browser. You'll customize this page until it suits your interests perfectly, filling it only with the news clippings, photographs, stock quotes, cartoons, sports scores, weather forecasts, and other snippets of information that most interest you.

Friday - Lesson 04

This lesson is a student favorite. There are more than three billion documents stored on the World Wide Web, and thousands more are being added daily. With that many pages, your odds of locating a single Web document by chance are worse than hopeless. This lesson will teach you how to filter out the garbage and dramatically improve your chances of instantly finding the exact information you need. You'll be able to distinguish a search engine from a directory, you'll know which tool is most likely to deliver the results you want, and you'll discover the secrets Internet search experts use to get the best possible results. If you can't find what you seek after this lesson, you can bet it isn't on the World Wide Web.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

Today, you'll learn how to defend your family, your computer and the information you wish to keep private from a variety of threats to your safety and sanity. You'll find out how to recognize and guard against hoaxes, scams, and phishing expeditions, and you'll understand the difference between viruses, worms, and other dangerous forms of malware.

Friday - Lesson 06

Have you ever felt like looking up an old classmate, a former co-worker, a neighbor who moved away, or a long-lost relative? Does the fast pace of today's world make it difficult for you to stay in touch with your dearest friends? Want to share and comment on photographs with family and friends? Want to get together with people who share similar interests? Interested in expanding your circle of professional contacts? Ever wonder what a close family member is doing right now? Well, the Internet can certainly help with all of that! In today's lesson, we're going to explore one of the Internet's hottest topics: the social networking phenomenon.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

If you're anything like me, you may have a nagging suspicion that some of the most fascinating things on the Internet are hidden in places where you'd never even think to look. That begs a question: how do we find the most interesting sites the Internet has to offer if we aren't even aware that they exist? That's a very good question, and one today's lesson on social bookmarking will help answer.

Friday - Lesson 08

The World Wide Web has granted ordinary folks (like you and I) with the power to share our thoughts, opinions, and advice with thousands, if not millions, of other people. As a result, the Web is literally exploding with sites dedicated to the collection and dissemination of user-generated content. These second generation Web sites--which are sometimes collectively known as Web 2.0 sites--actively encourage our participation. This is a broadly democratizing event that seems to have no precedent in human history. Today, we'll explore several Web 2.0 sites you can use to help plan a vacation, make a wise purchase, or get help with a nagging technical problem.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

In this lesson, we'll continue with our exploration of Web 2.0 by exploring Wikis--highly informative, encyclopedia-like knowledge sites that have been developed almost entirely by volunteer contributors. You'll also learn about blogging, a new and fast-growing phenomenon with the potential to completely change the way we use the Internet. You'll explore some of the most popular, useful, and fascinating blogs on the Internet, and you'll understand how you can use blogs to save time, learn new skills, make better investment decisions, discuss important issues of the day, cultivate friendships, and more. You'll even get a few tips on creating and publishing a blog of your very own with no investment other than your time.

Friday - Lesson 10

The Internet is a literal treasure trove of art, literature, and entertainment. Inerested in fine art, sculpture, or architecture? Today, you'll learn how the Internet can help you bring crystal-clear images of the world's masterpieces directly into your home. Love to read? Find out how to freely access and read classic literature from the comfort of your laptop. Bored? Find out how to treat yourself to the finest and most entertaining games and videos the Internet has to offer.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

Are you weary of the never-ending stream of software fixes, updates, and new version releases? Tired of lugging important data files back and forth from home to school or work? Do you regularly collaborate with others on important documents, spreadsheets, or images? Today, you'll learn how a relatively recent Internet phenomenon known as cloud computing could make it a snap for you to perform all of those tasks--and more--without breaking a sweat.

Friday - Lesson 12

The Internet is constantly evolving, and many surprising and life-changing new tools and capabilities are in the works. In today's lesson, you'll learn about some of the many exciting future developments that await us as users of the Internet.